It appears a nonprofit Crisis Housing Solutions may launch over two dozen unit apartments made of shipping containers. The rent is expected to be less than $1,000, which is about 3/4 the median rental rate of $1,300 in Orange County. JP Morgan Chase is the financial backing which funded Crisis Housing Solutions $600,000.
The metal-frame apartments will be about 40 feet long and 8 feet wide. They are a benefit to millennials, baby boomers and anyone really who is living on a tighter budget.
"Construction costs are less because of savings on labor and materials, which enables Vanderlaan to estimate rent at less than $1,000".
“We have a young workforce, young talent and college graduates. When and if they get a job, they can barely afford to get a place,” Crisis Housing co-founder Craig Vanderlaan said. “They are leaving the state. Senior citizens are having a hard time finding affordable housing too.”
“I think there are a lot of people out there who really like the idea,” said University of Florida adjunct architecture professor Stephen Bender, part of the nonprofit’s team. “What we don’t have in Florida are these chic industrial apartments. They have a certain funkiness, a certain authenticity.”
According to the Orlando Sentinel;
In the Orlando area, Crisis Housing Solutions seeks donated sites near jobs in downtown Orlando or Kissimmee, but Vanderlaan said his group would locate elsewhere in the region to take advantage of land donations. Low-cost property, he said, would keep down rental costs. But even without a donation, Crisis Housing has financial backing and will still proceed, he added. A half-acre could accommodate 16 to 25 apartments.
Crisis Housing Solutions Deputy Director Mike Smith said he was confident about getting local support for the Central Florida project.
“We will have to work with the building departments, but we do not see that as a major obstacle,” he said.
Comments (4)Subscribe to CommentsComment